Swiss watch exports return to growth in February before Middle East conflict

March 19 (Reuters) - Watch exports from key producer Switzerland returned to growth in February driven by demand in the United States, Japan and France, data from the Federation of the Swiss Watch Industry (FH) showed on Thursday.

Overall, Swiss watch exports came in at 2.2 billion francs ($2.77 billion), a 9.2% increase compared with February 2025.

Exports to the U.S. picked up pace again after see-sawing against the backdrop of President Donald Trump's trade war. They were up 26.8% in February in terms of value from the same month last year.

The uptick in France - to which watch exports increased 57.1% on last year, making it the third largest market - is likely due to the fact that it is being used more frequently as a point of transit to other locations, the FH said.

While the United Arab Emirates and Singapore also took in slightly more watches in February from last year, the effects of the Iran war have not yet manifested themselves, the FH said.

($1 = 0.7935 Swiss francs)